Sketches New and Old
Author: Twain, Mark [PSUED Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910)
Year: 1875
Publisher: American Publishing Company
Place: Hartford
Description:
320 pages. Square Octavo (8 3/4" x 6 3/4") bound in original publisher's blue cloth with black and gilt decorative lettering on spine and front board. Lacking the misplaced footnote on page 120, and "From Hospital Days" on page 229. (BAL 3364) First edition, second issue.
The size of the first printing is undetermined, but the book was published in September 1875 and by the end of November, 12,985 copies were bound. The bindings offered for this book were the usual offered for the subscription books. Two states exist and BAL describes them. The first contains a very short story at page 299 that was later removed because it was not by Twain. Johnson points out that the manuscript for the story exists in Twain's handwriting with the name of the supposed author (Jane Stuart Woolsey) crossed out. True enough, but Johnson was unaware that Woolsey was a real woman and had published her story in her very real book that appeared in 1868. Twain may have copied it down for a story idea and included it by mistake with the other sketches. Some copies of the first state have a slip inserted at page 299 explaining that the story was not by Twain; other do not. The other feature of the first state is that of a footnote at page 119 is repeated at page 120; in later states the footnote is removed from page 120.
Condition:
Previous owner's stamp on back end paper, spine ends professionally repaired, back cover lightly rubbed, blue cloth stained at top front gilt star. A very good copy issued without a dust jacket.
Year: 1875
Publisher: American Publishing Company
Place: Hartford
Description:
320 pages. Square Octavo (8 3/4" x 6 3/4") bound in original publisher's blue cloth with black and gilt decorative lettering on spine and front board. Lacking the misplaced footnote on page 120, and "From Hospital Days" on page 229. (BAL 3364) First edition, second issue.
The size of the first printing is undetermined, but the book was published in September 1875 and by the end of November, 12,985 copies were bound. The bindings offered for this book were the usual offered for the subscription books. Two states exist and BAL describes them. The first contains a very short story at page 299 that was later removed because it was not by Twain. Johnson points out that the manuscript for the story exists in Twain's handwriting with the name of the supposed author (Jane Stuart Woolsey) crossed out. True enough, but Johnson was unaware that Woolsey was a real woman and had published her story in her very real book that appeared in 1868. Twain may have copied it down for a story idea and included it by mistake with the other sketches. Some copies of the first state have a slip inserted at page 299 explaining that the story was not by Twain; other do not. The other feature of the first state is that of a footnote at page 119 is repeated at page 120; in later states the footnote is removed from page 120.
Condition:
Previous owner's stamp on back end paper, spine ends professionally repaired, back cover lightly rubbed, blue cloth stained at top front gilt star. A very good copy issued without a dust jacket.
